Extension-ladder



AUNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

T. C. AWOOD, OF AUGUSTA, MICHIGAN.

EXTENSION-LADDER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,042, dated January 24, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, T. G. WOOD, of Augusta, in the county of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Extension and Fruit Ladder; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specilication, in whichp Figure l isa side sectional View of my invention, taken in the line fr Fig. 2 Fig. 2, a front View of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in constructing a ladder of two parts connected by a hinge and arranged in such a manner that the ladder may be compaetly folded for transportatiomor when not required for use, or be adjusted so as to serve as a short ladder similar to an ordinary stepladder, and also be capable of being adjusted as a long ladder, the two parts being in line with each other. With this folding ladder Iuse a removable and adjustable platform, applied in such a manner that it may be very readily removed from the ladder and applied to it and adjusted, as circumstances may require, to serve as a convenient stand in packing fruit. A

A B represent the two parts of the ladder about of equal length, but one part, A, constructed with parallel side pieces a a and the other with inclined side pieces, b b the latter being farther apart at their lower than at their upper ends, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The rounds c may be inserted in the side pieces in the usual manner. The upper ends of the side pieces a ci of the part A of the ladder are fitted loosely on the upper round, e, of the part B, so as to form a joint to admit of the two parts A B being folded compactly together, adjusted at a greater or less distance apart, or be capable of being placed in line with each other. The upper round, e, of the part B is some distance below the upper ends of the side pieces b b, and on the upper parts of the side pieces a a there are placed metal slides O C, which, when the two parts A B are in line with each other, are shoved down over the upper ends of the side pieces b b, and serve to hold the two parts in the same plane. When the two parts are thus adjusted, the ladder is used as an ordinary one, the full length of the two parts being rendered available for use;

D represents aplatform, which has two metal straps, E E, attached to its underside, one near each end. The back ends of these straps are bent or curved so as to form eyes d, which may be tted over the upper round of the part A, so that they may be readily applied to and removed therefrom. The front ends ofthe straps E E are bent to form eyes e e, to receive a rod or shaft, F, on which metal straps f at the ends of rods G G are fitted. These rods G are notched at their lower ends, as shown at y, and they pass through loops H, attached to one of the rounds c of the part B, said loops catching into the notches g and supporting the platform D.

When the platform is used the two parts A B are adjusted, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, and they may be more or less distended as desired, the platform being adjusted in a horizontal position by raising or lowering the rods G, the loops H being fitted in the proper notches y.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the platform may be readily applied to and removed form the ladder, and the whole folded in compact form or adj usted for use with the greatest facility.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The folding ladder composed of the two parts A B, connected together as shown, in combination with the removable and adj ustable platform D, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

T. C. WOOD.

Witnesses:

WM. F. MGNAMARA, J. P. HALL. 

